"Pooh!" said Johnny Chuck, "He's afraid to fight! He's a coward. Buthe can't get away from me so easily. He's hiding, and I'll find him andthen---" Johnny didn't finish, but he ground his teeth, and it wasn't apleasant sound to hear.
So Johnny Chuck hunted for the stranger, and the longer he hunted theangrier he grew. Somehow the stranger managed to keep out of hissight. He was almost ready to give up, when he almost stumbled over thestranger, hiding in a little clump of bushes. And then a funny thinghappened. What do you think it was?
Why, all the anger left Johnny Chuck. His hair no longer stood on end.He didn't know why, but all of a sudden he felt foolish, very foolishindeed.
"Who are you?" he demanded gruffly.
"I--I'm Polly Chuck," replied the stranger, in a small, timid voice.
XI. THE GREATEST THING IN THE WORLD
Johnny Chuck had begun to think about his clothes. Yes, Sir, he spent awhole lot of time thinking about how he looked and wishing that he hada handsomer coat. For the first time in all his life he began to envyReddy Fox, because of the beautiful red coat of which Reddy is so proud.It seemed to Johnny that his own coat was so plain and so dull that noone would look at it twice. Besides, it was torn now, because of thegreat fight Johnny had had with the old gray Chuck who came down fromthe Old Pasture. Johnny smoothed it down and brushed it carefully andtried to make himself look as spick and span as he knew how.
"Oh, dear!" he sighed. "I don't see why Old Mother Nature didn't give meas handsome a coat as she did Reddy Fox. And there are Jimmy Skunkand Happy Jack the Gray Squirrel and--and--why, almost every one has ahandsomer coat than I have!" Now this wasn't at all like Johnny Chuck.First he had been discontented with his house and had given it to JimmySkunk. Now he was discontented with his clothes. What was coming overJohnny Chuck? He really didn't know himself. At least, he wouldn't haveadmitted that he knew. But right down deep in his heart was a greatdesire--the desire to have Polly Chuck admire him. Yes, Sir, that iswhat it was! And it seemed to him that she would admire him a great dealmore if he wore fine clothes. You see, he hadn't learned yet what PeterRabbit had learned a long time ago, which is that
Fine clothes but catch the passing eye; Fine deeds win love from low and high.
So Johnny Chuck wished and wished that he had a handsome suit, but as hedidn't, and no amount of wishing would bring him one, he just made theone he did have look as good as he could, and then went in search ofPolly Chuck.
Sometimes she would not notice him at all. Sometimes he would find hershyly peeping at him from behind a clump of grass. Then Johnny Chuckwould try to make himself look very important, and would strut about asif he really did own the Green Meadows.
Sometimes she would hide from him, and when he found her she would runaway. Other times she would be just as nice to him as she could be, andthey would have a jolly time hunting for sweet clover and other nicethings to eat. Then Johnny Chuck's heart would swell until it seemed tohim that it would fairly burst with happiness.
Instead of wanting to drive Polly Chuck away from the Green Meadows,as he had the old gray Chuck, Johnny began to worry for fear that PollyChuck might not stay on the Green Meadows. Whenever he thought of that,his heart would sink way, way down, and he would hurry to look for herand make sure that she was still there.
When he was beside her, he felt very big and strong and brave and longedfor a chance to show her how brave he was. She was such a timid littlething herself that the least little thing frightened her, and JohnnyChuck was glad that this was so, for it gave him a chance to protecther.
When he wasn't with her, he spent his time looking for new patches ofsweet clover to take her to. At first she wouldn't go without a greatdeal of coaxing, but after a while he didn't have to coax at all. Sheseemed to delight to be with him as much as he did to be with her.
So Johnny Chuck grew happier and happier. He was happier than he hadever been in all his life before. You see Johnny Chuck had found thegreatest thing in the world. Do you know what it is? It is called love.
XII. JOHNNY CHUCK PROVES HIS LOVE
These spring days were beautiful days on the Green Meadows. It seemedto Johnny Chuck that the Green Meadows never had been so lovely or thesongs of the birds so sweet. He had forgotten all about his old friends,Jimmy Skunk and Peter Rabbit and the other little meadow people.
You see, he couldn't think of anybody but Polly Chuck, and he didn'twant to be with anybody but Polly Chuck. He had even forgotten that hehad started out to see the world. He didn't care anything more aboutthe world. All he wanted was to be where Polly Chuck was. Then he wasperfectly happy. That was because Johnny Chuck had found the greatestthing in the world, which is love. But Johnny still had one great wish,the wish that he might show Polly Chuck just how brave and strong he wasand how well he could take care of her.
One morning they were feasting in a patch of sweet clover over near anold stone wall. It was the same stone wall in which Johnny Chuck hadescaped from old Whitetail the Marshhawk, when Johnny was a very littlefellow.
Suddenly Polly gave a little scream of fright. Johnny Chuck looked up tosee a dog almost upon her. Johnny's first thought was to run to the oldstone wall. He was nearer to it than Polly was. Then he saw that thatdreadful dog would catch Polly before she could reach the stone wall.
A great rage filled Johnny's heart, just as it had when he had foughtthe old gray Chuck. Every hair stood on end, not with fear, but withanger, and he sprang in front of Polly.
"Run, Polly, run!" he cried, and Polly ran.
But Johnny didn't run. Oh, my, no! Johnny didn't run. He drew himselftogether ready to spring. He showed all his sharp teeth and ground themsavagely. Little sparks of fire seemed to snap out of his eyes. Therewas no sign of fear in Johnny Chuck then, not the least little bit. Justin front of him the dog stopped and barked. He was a little dog, a youngand foolish dog, and he was terribly excited. He barked until he almostlost his breath. He didn't like the looks of Johnny Chuck's sharp teeth.So he circled around Johnny, trying to get behind him. But Johnny turnedas the dog circled, and always the little dog found those sharp teethdirectly in front of him. He barked and barked, until it seemed as if hewould bark his head off.
Finally the little dog, who was young and foolish, grew tired of justdancing around and barking. "Pooh!" said he to himself. "He's nothingbut a Chuck!" Then he stopped barking and sprang straight at Johnny withan ugly growl.
Johnny Chuck was ready for him and he was quicker than the little dog.His sharp teeth closed on one of the little dog's ears, and he held onwhile with his stout claws he scratched and tore.
The little dog, who was young and foolish and hadn't yet learned howto fight, couldn't get hold of Johnny Chuck anywhere. Then he tried toshake Johnny Chuck off, but he couldn't, because Johnny held on to thatear with his sharp teeth.
"Kiyi-yi-yi-yi!" yelled the little dog, for those teeth hurt dreadfully."Kiyi-yi-yi-yi!"
Over and over they rolled and tumbled, the little dog trying to getaway, and Johnny Chuck holding on to the little dog's ear. FinallyJohnny had to let go to get his breath. The little dog sprang to hisfeet and started for home across the Green Meadows as fast as he couldrun.
Johnny Chuck shook himself and grinned, as he heard the little dog's"Kiyi-yi-yi" grow fainter and fainter. "I'm glad it wasn't Bowser theHound," muttered Johnny Chuck, as he started towards the old stone wall.There he found Polly Chuck peeping out at him, and all of a tremble withfright.
"My, how brave you are!" said Polly Chuck.
"Pooh, that's nothing!" replied Johnny Chuck.
XIII. POLLY AND JOHNNY CHUCK GO HOUSE HUNTING
Johnny Chuck was happy. Yes, Sir, Johnny Chuck was happy--so happy thathe felt like doing foolish things. You see Johnny Chuck loved PollyChuck and he knew now that Polly Chuck loved him. He had known itever since he had fought with the foolish little dog who had dared tofrighten Polly Chuck.
After the fight was over, and the little dog had been sent homekiyi-yi-i
ng, Polly Chuck had crept out of the old stone wall where shehad been hiding and snuggled up beside Johnny Chuck and looked at himas if she thought him the most wonderful Chuck in all the world, as,indeed, she did. And Johnny had felt his heart swell and swell withhappiness until it almost choked him.
So now once more Johnny Chuck began to think of a new home. He hadforgotten all about seeing the world. All he wanted now was a new house,built just so, with a front door and a hidden back door, and big enoughfor two, for no more would Johnny Chuck live alone. So, with shy littlePolly Chuck by his side, he began to search for a place to make a newhome.
The more he thought about it, the more Johnny wanted to build his houseover by the lone elm-tree where he had first seen Polly Chuck. It was asplendid place. From it you could see a great way in every direction.It would be shady on hot summer days. It was near a great big patch ofsweet clover. It seemed to Johnny Chuck that it was the best place onall the Green Meadows. He whispered as much to Polly Chuck. She turnedup her nose.
"It's too low!" said she.
"Oh!" replied Johnny, and looked puzzled, for really it was one of thehighest places on the Green Meadows.
"Yes," said Polly, in a brisk, decided way, "it's altogether too low.Probably it is wet."
"Oh!" said Johnny once more. Of course he knew that it wasn't wet, butif Polly didn't want to live there, he wouldn't say a word. Of coursenot.
"Now there's a place right over there," continued Polly. "I think we'llbuild our house right there."
Johnny opened his mouth to say something, but he closed it again withoutspeaking and meekly trotted after Polly Chuck to the place she hadpicked out. It was in a little hollow. Johnny knew before he began todig that the ground was damp, almost wet. But if Polly wanted to livethere she should, and Johnny began to dig. By and by he stopped to rest.Where was Polly? He looked this way and that way anxiously. Just as hewas getting ready to go hunt for her, she came hurrying back.
{Illustration: If Polly wanted to live there she should}
"I've found a perfectly lovely place for our new home!" she cried.
Johnny looked ruefully at the hole he had worked so hard to dig; then hebrushed the dirt from his clothes and followed her. This time Johnnyhad no fault to find with the ground. It was high and dry. But Polly hadchosen a spot close to a road that wound down across the Green Meadows.Johnny shook his head doubtfully, but he began to dig. This time,however, he kept one eye on Polly Chuck, and the minute he found thatshe was wandering off, he stopped digging and chuckled as he watchedher. It wasn't long before back she came in great excitement. She hadfound a better place!
So they wandered over the Green Meadows, Polly leading the way. Johnnyhad learned by this time to waste no time digging. And he had made uphis mind to one thing. What do you think it was? It was this: He wouldfollow Polly until she found a place to suit him, but when she did findsuch a place she shouldn't have a chance to change her mind again.
XIV. A NEW HOME AT LAST
Home, no matter where it be, Or it be big or small, Is just the one place in the world That dearest is of all.
Johnny Chuck was thinking of this as he worked with might and main. Itwas a new house that he was building, but already he felt that it washome, and every time he thought of it he felt a queer little tugging athis heart. You see, while it was his home, it was Polly Chuck's home,too, and that made it doubly dear to Johnny Chuck, even before it wasfinished.
And where do you think Johnny was building his new home? It was clearway over on the edge of Farmer Brown's old orchard! Yes, Sir, after allthe fuss Johnny Chuck had made over any other Chuck living on the GreenMeadows, and after driving the old gray Chuck back to the Old Pasture,Johnny Chuck had left the Green Meadows himself!
It wasn't of his own accord that Johnny Chuck had left the GreenMeadows. No, indeed! He loved them too well for that. But he loved PollyChuck more, and although he had grumbled a little, he had followed herup to the old orchard, and now they were going to stay there. SometimesJohnny shivered when he thought how near were Farmer Brown and FarmerBrown's boy and Bowser the Hound.
He had never been so far from his old home on the Green Meadows before,and it was all very strange up here. It was very lovely, too. Besides,it was in this very old orchard that Polly Chuck had been born, and sheknew every part of it. Johnny felt better when he found that out. Sohe set to work to build a home, and this time he meant business. PollyChuck could change her mind as many times as she pleased; that was goingto be their home and that was where they were going to live.
Now Johnny Chuck had grown wise in the ways of the world since he firstran away from the home where he was born. Twice since then he had builta new home, and now this would be better than either of the others. Hepaid no heed to Polly, when she pouted because he did not dig where shewanted him to. He went from tree to tree, big old apple-trees they were,and at the very last tree, way down in a corner near a tumbled-downstone wall, he found what he wanted--two spreading roots gave him achance to dig between them.
Polly watched him get ready for work and she pouted some more.
"It would be a lot nicer out in that grassy place, and a lot easier todig," said she.
Johnny Chuck smiled and made the dirt fly. "It certainly would be easierto dig," said he, when he stopped for breath, "easier for me and easierfor Bowser the Hound or for old Granny Fox, if either wanted to dig usout. Now, these old roots are just far enough apart for us to go inand out. They make a beautiful doorway. But Bowser the Hound cannot getthrough if he tries, and he can't make our doorway any larger. Don't yousee how safe it is?"
Polly Chuck had to own up that it was safer than a home in the opencould possibly be, and Johnny went on digging. He made a long hall downto the snuggest of bedrooms, deep, deep down under ground. Then he madea long back hall, and all the sand from this he carried out the frontway. By and by he made a back door at the end of the back hall, andit opened right behind a big stone fallen from the old stone wall. Youwould never have guessed that there was a back door there.
His new house was finished now, and Johnny Chuck and Polly Chuck sat onthe door-step and watched jolly, round, red Mr. Sun go to bed behind thePurple Hills and were happy.
XV. SAMMY JAY FINDS THE NEW HOME
Johnny Chuck was missed from his old home on the Green Meadows. If hehad known how much he was missed, he certainly would have tried to goback for at least a call on his old neighbors. There had been greatsurprise when it had been discovered that Jimmy Skunk was living inJohnny's old house, and at first some of the little meadow people wereinclined to look at Jimmy a wee bit distrustfully when he told howJohnny Chuck had given away his house.
When Johnny sent back word by the Merry Little Breezes that it was true,they believed Jimmy Skunk and forgot the unpleasant things that theyhad begun to hint at about him. But they one and all thought that JohnnyChuck must be crazy. Yes, Sir, they thought that Johnny Chuck must becrazy. They were sure of it when the Merry Little Breezes brought wordof how Johnny had started out to see the world.
But everybody was so busy about their own affairs in the beautifulbright spring-time that they couldn't spend much time wondering aboutJohnny Chuck. They missed him every time they passed his old house andthen forgot him; that is, most of the little meadow people did.
Peter Rabbit didn't. Peter used to stop every day to gossip with JohnnyChuck and tell him all the news, and now that Johnny Chuck was no longerthere, Peter missed him greatly. Jimmy Skunk was always asleep or offsomewhere. Besides, he was such a traveler that he knew all the newsalmost as soon as Peter himself.
The Merry Little Breezes told Peter that Johnny Chuck was still on theGreen Meadows, hunting for a new home, so Peter made up his mind thatjust as soon as Johnny got settled, Peter would hunt him up and call.You see, he never dreamed that Johnny would leave the Green Meadows, andhe thought that of course the Merry Little Breezes would tell him justwhere Johnny Chuck's new house was, whenever it was built. But there iswhe
re Peter made a mistake.
The Merry Little Breezes are the friends of all the little meadow andforest people, but they wouldn't be very long if they told everythingthat they find out.
Their merry tongues they guard full well And things they shouldn't never tell, For long ago they learned the way To keep a secret night and day.
And so when they found Johnny Chuck's new house in the corner of FarmerBrown's old orchard, they promised Johnny that they wouldn't tellanybody, and they didn't. So it was a long time before any one elsefound out what had become of Johnny Chuck, for no one thought of lookingin the corner of the old orchard.
The Merry Little Breezes used to come every day and bring Johnny Chuckthe news, and he and Polly Chuck would laugh and tickle, as they thoughtof Peter Rabbit hunting and hunting and never finding them.
Then one morning, as Johnny Chuck sat on his door-step, half dozing inthe sun with his heart filled with contentment, he happened to look upstraight into two sharp eyes peering down at him from among the leavesof the apple-tree under which he had built his house. He knew thoseeyes. They were such sharp eyes that they were unpleasant. He didn'teven have to look for the blue and white coat of the owner to know whohad found his snug home. But he pretended to keep right on dozing, andpretty soon the owner of the eyes disappeared without making a sound.
"Oh, dear," sighed Johnny Chuck, "now the whole world will know wherewe live, for that was Sammy Jay." Then his face brightened as he added:"Anyway, he didn't see Polly Chuck, and he doesn't know anything abouther, so I'll keep twice as sharp a watch as before."